Who's the better FOURTH Horseman?

[It's...Baylariat!]

I said it. I'm wanting to know what you old schoolers think. Who IS the better fourth member of the Four Horsemen. Flair, Tully, and Arn are mainstays in my book. Here are the three to choose from.

Ole Anderson - Ole was the original fourth member, but was also the first to be kicked out of the stable. He also had a formidable tag team with Arn Anderson as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Valuable asset who hated Dusty Rhodes, too.

Lex Luger - The next person in line when Ole left. Luger was all look, very little talent, and less mic skills. But he was also US Champion and beat the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, and Barry Windham for the gold. He was kicked out for taking a title shot with Flair I believe.

Barry Windham - IN my opinion, the best of the bunch. Strong, young, and held the US Title as well, and also beat on Dusty, Nikita, and whomever got in his way. Also put on one of the better swerves in the era of the Jim Crockett NWA.

So who's better?

 

[jmt225]

The most talented wrestler on that list is undoubtedly Barry Windham. I mean, the guy just had it all. Great look, awesome charisma, tremendous in the ring, and the man could talk. However, while I believe he was technically the best 4th Horsemen from your list, I don't think he was there long enough to really solidify himself as a true Horseman like Ole Anderson did when the group was first formed. Now, Barry as a wrestler is better than Ole in every way, shape, and form, but when I think of the 4 Horsemen, I would picture Ole as the 4th member before I would Barry Windham, which is I have to go with Ole over him.

With that said, however, Ole Anderson is not my answer for THE greatest 4th Horseman. My answer is none other than Chris Benoit. Now, I'm about to turn 24 in about a month, and I started watching wrestling around Wrestlemania 4, so I didn't get into WCW until around 1989/1990, well past the Horsemen's glory days. But I would learn of them watching old videos and what not. And today, I know them very well, and while Barry Windham was awesome and Ole embodies the Horsemen as much as anyone, neither of those guys can touch what Chris Benoit was to that group when they reincarnated in the mid-nineties. I promise you, nothing the Horsemen ever did was as awesome as Benoit's feud against Kevin Sullivan while Benoit was in the group. Nothing. Everything in that feud, from the matches to the angles, were all pure gold. And Chris Benoit was the reason why. Not many people were as believable as him, and the Horsemen could not have picked a better 'bad ass' for their group. Shit, he was basically Ole Anderson, only WAY more talented. Chris Benoit is definitely my answer here. The guy fucking owned ass during his run in the Horsemen, and there's no denying it.

As far as Lex Luger is concerned, very talented wrestler, but he only joined the Horsemen to get a rub and then turn on them so he could be WCW's version of Hulk Hogan. He was never a true 4th member of the group. To say he was, then you would also have to say Sid, Sting, and Paul Roma were all really the 4th members as well, and they weren't. They were just fill ins until someone dependable came along.

 

[brochester8]

Benoit wasn't really the 4th member of his 4 horseman group. It was Flair, Benoit, Mylenko, Then 4th of there group of Mongo and Pillman. Arn was manager. So it isn't really safe to call Benoit a 4th member.


In my opinion it was Ole because he was the original. However Windham was the man and very underutilized in his career.

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

I loved Big Barry. He was the elite talent the Horsemen were known for. However I have to go with Ole. Ole was mean, he was tough, Arn Anderson even went so far as to call him evil. Triple H called Arn and Ole the Bad Ass Backbone of the Horsemen and without them the group wouldn't have been as initially successful. Ole was one of the most important personalities in the business at the time because Ole and Arn were so damn mean as a team which gave the Original Horsemen credibility as a GANG. Big Barry showed a pretty tough side and was probably the second best forth Horseman and Chris Benoit the third best but Ole was the man.

 

[Dre Guevara]

I gotta go with Barry Windham, I was salty when he joined them, but looking back on THAT particular version of the Horsemen, they were best version.
here R my Top 4 versions of the 4 Horsemen....

1. Flair, Blanchard, Arn & Windham
2. Flair, Blanchard, Ole & Arn
3. Flair, Blanchard, Arn & Luger
4. Flair, Arn, Benoit & Malenko

 

[King Patrick Star]

In my view…

Ole was a great choice as the original “Fourth” Horsemen.
Lex was the most successful of the three choices after his Horsmen run.
Barry was more in the “Second” Horsemen position than the “Forth” thus a better fit for the team.

 

[BillAlfonso]

Benoit wasn't really the 4th member of his 4 horseman group. It was Flair, Benoit, Mylenko, Then 4th of there group of Mongo and Pillman. Arn was manager. So it isn't really safe to call Benoit a 4th member.

You must be fuckin' kidding me, you do know that Pillman was the catalyst for the creation of his incarnation of the Horsemen? If it wasn't for him, Flair and Arn would just be two old guys in the main event. Pillman made the Horsemen more hip and contemporary at the time with his groundbreaking "Loose Cannon" gimmick. Not to take anything away from Benoit but he was the fourth horsemen in order he joined and standing until Pillman was banished to The Land of Extreme and he was still a Horsemen to me until he joined the Hart Foundation, just look at the way he held up four fingers and pulled one down. And for those who spoke of Benoit's epic fued with Kevin Sullivan aka Bookerman, he was only picking up where Pillman left off. One of my favorite lines in pro wrestling, "I respect you, bookerman." To answer the thread, I can't really call it because it was before my time but listening to my father I'd have to say Ole.

 

[tarp]

I am a huge flair fan and horsemen man. I love this post! The overall better wrestler no doubt was Barry Windham, perhaps the most underrated wrestler ever. As far as fitting the mole of the horsemen I have to go with Ole. He had the mean streak Barry lacked. He was a decent promo man but just like Arn he knew his role and didn't try to overstep his role as a horsemen.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

You know something, I never thought of Ole Anderson as a 4th Horseman. I always thought of Tully as the 4th Horseman. When NorCal and I watched the DVD recently, I was reminded that Flair came together with Arn and Ole as a tag team prior to Tully's involvement, so to me, the "mid-card champion" of the stable was always the 4th guy.

Anyway, I see Sting isn't on the list, nor is Paul Roma, nor is Malenko or Steve McMichael. For obvious reasons. But this is a contest between Ole and Barry. Luger isn't in the league NOR the discussion with either of those men. Luger was terrible as a Horseman. Wooden, cut shit promos, etc.

I'll go with Ole because it was his hard nosed style and old-school approach that truly solidifed the Horsemen not just as an elite faction, but as a dangerous and intimidating group. His stare into the camera as he wagged his finger was foreboding. He felt like a leader, an originator. Barry felt more like a talented tag-along. I LOVED Windham, I truly did, but to me he was a band-aid on the group, albeit a bandaid that worked out quite well in the long run.

So Ole Anderson. I will go with an original.

 

[King Patrick Star]

You know something, I never thought of Ole Anderson as a 4th Horseman. I always thought of Tully as the 4th Horseman. When NorCal and I watched the DVD recently, I was reminded that Flair came together with Arn and Ole as a tag team prior to Tully's involvement, so to me, the "mid-card champion" of the stable was always the 4th guy.

Anyway, I see Sting isn't on the list, nor is Paul Roma, nor is Malenko or Steve McMichael. For obvious reasons. But this is a contest between Ole and Barry. Luger isn't in the league NOR the discussion with either of those men. Luger was terrible as a Horseman. Wooden, cut shit promos, etc.

I'll go with Ole because it was his hard nosed style and old-school approach that truly solidifed the Horsemen not just as an elite faction, but as a dangerous and intimidating group. His stare into the camera as he wagged his finger was foreboding. He felt like a leader, an originator. Barry felt more like a talented tag-along. I LOVED Windham, I truly did, but to me he was a band-aid on the group, albeit a bandaid that worked out quite well in the long run.

So Ole Anderson. I will go with an original.

I see what you mean about Ole being number 3 and Tully being number 4, I. C. Huh?? In my opinion, I rank the Mid – Card Title as the number 2 spot in a stable, like HHH in the original DX, and like Randy was in Evolution, and to a certain extent, The Rock in the Nation of Domination.

From the Original 4, I would say Ole is the number 4 guy, but going against that idea for whatever reason, in the second and third incarnation, I go with you idea of when the member joined and say Lex and Barry are the “4th”. Odd.

 

[jbwphoto1]

I have to agree with a couple of others about Ole not being the 4th Horseman. I always considered Ole to be the original with Arn and Ric as the next two to join. Tully and JJ just happened at the end. BTW, will never forget the promo AA cut about never have so few cause so much destruction other than the Four Horseman, but back to the question.

I would have to say Barry. He was already upper mid-card before the Horseman came along and the group actually elevated his status before he even joined by feuding with him. I have always loved Lex, but from his early days in Florida, his character seemed to be a lone wolf. Sting wasn't too bad as the 4th Horseman, but once Sting became a fan favorite, there was no way to stop the cheers. I was separated from the sport by the time Arn was acting as manager and the Horseman had a revolving door, so no comment on the others.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I have to go with Barry Windham. Windham was a great all around worker, was good on the mic, had a great natural look and could have a great match with just about anybody. Windham is one of these guys that never really gets the credit he deserves, you never really hear him mentioned among "the all time greats" even though few guys brought as much to the ring to work with during the 80s.

Ole Anderson was the epitome of what a great tag team wrestler was during the 1970s. Along with Gene Anderson, Ole practically ran the tag team scene in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic territories. Overall, Ole himself was a 17 time NWA Georgia Tag Team Champ and he won the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship 8 times. He had that great ground and pound style, just picking a body part and working the shit out of it. But, by the time the Four Horsemen came along, Ole's best days were way behind him. Age was really starting to catch up to him and he didn't bring that youthful, dynamic energy into the group that Ric, Tully and Arn did.

Lex Luger is, in my view, one of the most overrated big name workers of the past 25 years. Luger is something of an example of what TNA is trying to do with Rob Terry: Take a guy that has a physique that looks like something from a comic book and try to get him over based on that, despite the fact that he has pretty poor in-ring capability. However, to be fair, Luger was still head and shoulders above Rob Terry starting out. Luger did bring that great advantage of youthful size and strength to the Horsemen. Now, the Horsemen had a guy that they could put in there with guys like Nikita Koloff or the Road Warriors and match them in size and strength. Now, Luger did improve in the ring dramatically after he left the Horsemen. He had some really great matches against Ric Flair in 1988 and 89, but during his time as a Horsemen, Luger just didn't bring nearly as much as Windham did. Luger had a great look, and I admit he was pretty decent on the mic, but the guy was slow, clumsy and just really wasn't ready to be put in the spot he was in when you compare him to the other three members.

 

[hungry ham]

ole had the killer instinct, mic skills and a hell of a mean streak. like it's been said here, the man picked a body part and wud try to tear it off. ole was a get in your face kind of wrestler. luger was put in the group to try to elevate him to superstar level. i've been a horsemen fan since it's formation. to me luger had no buisness being put in the group. barry was the best fit but it depends on how u look at it. ole was this i'll kick ur ass and tell u in your face kind of dude, luger was just someone at the right place at the right time, took advantage of it and moved on. when barry turned on luger, i have to say it came out of nowhere. i loved every moment of it cause i was never a big luger fan. never saw it coming. barry really got to showcase his talent. on the mic and in the ring.......so between the three, i'd have to say, barry. wit ole coming in a tight second. both of these guys made the horsemen better in their own way.......sorry if i sound like i'm babbling. my first time posting.....4 horsemen 4life. funny thing is i have a 4H tattooed on my left hand....talk about die hard.

 

[Megadeth]

Ric Flair actually discussed this on an episode about Factions of the WWE on Demand "Legends of Wrestling" round table discussion show. Taz asked Ric Flair what version of the 4-horsemen he considered to be the best, and Flair said Himself, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Barry Windham. So if The Nature Boy Himself as the leader of the group considers Barry to be the better Horseman, I think that pretty much ends the debate.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I'm going to have to go with Barry Windham. I think that he was more talented, both in the ring and on the mic, than Ole Anderson was. Plus, he fit the look of the Four Horsemen better in my opinon. Ole looked like a, "good ole boy," where as, Flair, Blanchord, and Windham were kind of more flamboyant.

I would much rather watch Barry Windham in the Horsmen than Ole.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

Benoit wasn't really the 4th member of his 4 horseman group. It was Flair, Benoit, Mylenko, Then 4th of there group of Mongo and Pillman. Arn was manager. So it isn't really safe to call Benoit a 4th member.


In my opinion it was Ole because he was the original. However Windham was the man and very underutilized in his career.

Before I get started, I must correct the following. In the first incarnation of the Horsemen to include benoit, he WAS the 4th 4th member, as Pillman was the third. Pillman eventually slipped out of favor and slide to 4th, but Benoit was originally the 4th.

Now, to answer the question of who the better 4th member of the Horsemen was out of the three choices, I will answer by the process of elimination.

Ole Anderson- I don't give a shit if it was called the Minnesota Wrecking Crew or not, Ole was a pussy. He didn't have the stamina to stay and he was a mainstay in an irrelevant faction of the Horsemen. When he came back, he just didn't seem to have that same toughness or drive and was a moot player if anything. I was glad when Tully teamed with Arn to replace Ole. It made for a better, grittier duo. So no, not Ole.

Barry Windham- I'm sorry, alot of you look at his size, his credential, and his lineage, but Windham was a fucking hack. He was "Dusty Rhodes-lite" during his whole NWA career and never came out from Dusty's shadow, in my opinion. I mean what the fuck does it say about you when you need a prop called "black beauty" to get over as a heel? It says you aren't that believable on your own and that you more than likely only wear assless chaps because you are gay. He just never fit the Horseman mold if you ask me. So nope. not Barry either.

So who does that leave? Oh god, don't make me have to tell you. Fine, I guess.

It's........

Lex F'N" Luger bitches! I mean when the Horsemen were the top heels and ran roughshot over the rest of the NWA, they were about "limousine riding, jet flying, wheelin dealin, and kiss stealin". Neither Ole nor Barry fit this mold. Only one man pulled off the mantra by just standing there in his rob, letting his million dollar muscles speak volumes without him having to say a word. I mean every fuckin time I saw Luger standing there with the Horsemen, I got a fuckin hardon because that was what the Horsemen were supposed to look like. You have Flair as the crown jewel, Anderson and Blanchard as the rough cut stones on the flank, Lex Luger as the perfectly chiseled diamond in the rough, with JJ Dillion holding it all in his hands like a million dollar mogul.

I dare any of you to go back and star at interviews of the Horsemen. Not the individual ones, but the ones where the whole groups were there. Go ahead and watch your Ole Anderson ones where the group seemed blue collar and weren't really that hated. Then look at the ones with Barry Windham, were he didn't even seem to fit in with the look of the group and people only hated him because it was like Dusty Rhodes Jr. going heel.

And then humble yourself and take a look at the interviews with Luger standing there. Feel the hate creep from within your stomach. And then ask yourself this, why does this faction bring forth this feeling? It's because they were those millionaire boys who were down and dirty and did WHAT they wanted WHEN they wanted. The got the money, the cars, the girls, and all the titles. And Luger only helped further this look as the blue chip member. Shit, the closest they got the recreating this was when Paul Roma was the young cocky member. But it wasn't the same. And it only went to show you that they were trying to recreate the most successful and potent Horseman look. Plain and simple.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

I have to agree with a couple of others about Ole not being the 4th Horseman. I always considered Ole to be the original with Arn and Ric as the next two to join. Tully and JJ just happened at the end. BTW, will never forget the promo AA cut about never have so few cause so much destruction other than the Four Horseman, but back to the question.

I would have to say Barry. He was already upper mid-card before the Horseman came along and the group actually elevated his status before he even joined by feuding with him. I have always loved Lex, but from his early days in Florida, his character seemed to be a lone wolf. Sting wasn't too bad as the 4th Horseman, but once Sting became a fan favorite, there was no way to stop the cheers. I was separated from the sport by the time Arn was acting as manager and the Horseman had a revolving door, so no comment on the others.

All good points, except Tully, Arn, and Ric were never kicked out. Ole was. Therefore, he was disposable and to me, considered a Fourth member. If Tully would have been booted, then I'd say he was a fourth, but he wasn't. Ole was. That's the theory I use simply because during that era, Arn and Tully and Ric were the constant, then you had Ole, Luger, and Windham. That's what I was going by.